Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-07-18
WATERING THE SHEEP.
DR. TALMAGBS SERMON AT HANPfONS ON
LAST SUNDAY.
Shepherds at the Wsll-Ths Stone on the Mouth
HO! Everyone That Thirststh Come Ye to the
Watsrs-Ths Eternal Fortunes
Christ Offers.
Special Telegram 10 the Register.

Christ Offers.
Special Telegram 10 The Register
THE HAMPTONS, July 1.-THE Rev. T.
De Witt Talmage, d. d., pastor at the
Brooklyn Tabernacle, continues to enjoy
the summer at this pleasant place. His
sermon for to-day was on the text: 1--WE
cannot until all the fiocks be gathered to-
gether, and till they roll the stone from
the wells mouth; then we water the
sheep. Genesis xxix:S.
A scene i'll Mesopotamia, beautifully
pastoral. A we'll of water Of great value
! in that region. The fields around it white
with three flocks of sheep lying down
waiting for the watering. / hear their
bleating coming on the bright air, and the
laughter of young men and maidens in
dulging in rustic repartee. look off and
l see other flocks Of sheep coming. Mean
while, Jacob, stranger, on the interesting
errand of looking for wife,
comes TO the well. A beautiful shep-
herdess comes to the same well. / see
her approaching, followed by her fathers
flock Of sheep. 1t was a memorable meet
ing. Jacob married that shepherdess
The Bible account of it is: Jacob kissed
Rachel, and lifted up his voice and wept."
1t has always been q mystery to me
what he found to cry about! But before
that scene occurred, Jacob accosts the
shepherds and asks them why they post
pOne the shaking of the thirst of these
sheep, and why they did not Immediately
proceed TO water them. The shepherds
reply to the effect: I'VE are all good
neighbors, and rs matter of courtesy We
wait until all the sheep of the neighbor-
hood come up. Besides that, this stone
on the wells mouth is somewhat heavy,
and several of us take hold of it and push
it aside and then the buckets and the
troughs are filled, and the sheep are salts
fled. We cannot, until all the
FLOCKS ARE GATHERED TOGETHER,
and till they roll the stone from the wells
mouth; then we water the sheep"
Oh, this is thirsty world Hot for the
head, and blistering for the feet, and parch-
ing for the tongue. The worlds great
want is cool, refreshing, satisfying
draught We wander around and We find
the cistern empty. Long and tedious
drought has dried up the worlds foun-
taips, but nearly nineteen centuries ago, a
Shepherd, with crook in the shape Of
cross, and feet cut to the bleeding, explored
the desert passages of this world, and one
day came across a.well thousand feet
deep, bubbliDg and bright, and opalescent,
and looked to the north, and the south,
and the east, and the west. and cried out
with voice strong and musical that rang
through the ages: ''Ho, every one that
thirsteth, come ye TO the waters!"
Now great flock of sheep to-day gather
around this Gospel well. There are great
many thirsty souls. / wonder why the
flOcks of all nations do not gather-why
so many stay thirsty; and while | am won
dering about il my text breaks forth in
the explanation, saying: 1--WE cannot, un-
til all the flocks be gathered together, and
till they roll the stone from the wells
mouth; then we water the sheep"
If herd of swine come to well they
angrily ostle each other for the prece-
! dence; if drove of cattle come to well
they hook each other back from the water;
hut when flock of sheep come, though a
hundred of them shall be disappointed,
they only express it by sad bleatings; they
come together peacefully. We want "a
great multitude to come around the Gospel
well. | know there are those who do
not like a crowd-they think crowd
is vulgar. Ifthey are oppressed for room
in church it makes them positively impa-
tient and belligerent. We have people
permanently leave onr church because 80
many other people come TO it. Nor did
these Oriental shepherds. They waited
until all the flocks were gathered, and the
more fiOcks that came the better they
| liked it, And so we ought to be anxious
that all the people should come. Go out
| into
THE HIGHWAYS AND THE HEDGES
aud compel them to come in. Go to the
rich and tell them they are INDECENT with
ont the Gospel of Jesus. Go to the poor
and tell them the affluence there Is in
Christ. Go to the blind and tell them of
| the touch that gives eternal illumination.
| Go to the lame and tell them of the joy
that will make the lame man leap like
hart. Gather all the sheep of OF all the
mountains None so torn of the dogs,
none so sick, none so worried, none so
diving. as to he omitted. Why not
gather a great flock? All Brooklyn in a
flock: all New York in flock; all London
in flock; all the world in flock. This
well of the Gospel is deep enough to put
out the burning thirst of the twelve hun
dred million OF the race, Do not let the
church, by o spirit Of exclusiveness, keep
the world out. Let down all the bars,
swing open all the gates, scatter all the
invitations: "WhosOever will, let him
come" Come, white aud black. Come,
red men of the forest. Come, Laplander,
out of the snow. Come, Patagonian, out
of the heat. Come in iurs. Come painting
under palm leaves. Come one, come all.
Come now. As at this well of Mesopota-
mia. Jacob aud Rachel were betrothed, so
this morning, at this we'll of salvation,
Christ our Shedherd will meet you coming
ND with your long flocks of cares and anX-
ieties, and he will stretch ont His hand in
pledge of His affection, while all heaven
will cry out: Behold the bridegroom
cometh, 90 We out 10 meet Him."
You notice that this well of MesopOta-
mia had stone on it, which had to be re-
moved before the sheep could be watered;
and fiud on the wall of salvation to day
impediments and obstacles, which must be
removed in order that you may obtain the
refreshment and life of this gospel. In your
case the impediment is pride of heart You
I'cannot bear to come to so democratic
fountain; you do not want to come with SO
many others. 1t is TO you like when you
come to town, as compared sitting in
parlor slipping out of chased chalice which
has Just been lifted from n silver salyer.
Not so many pubhcans and sinners. You
want to get to heaven, but
IT MUST BE IL SPECIAL CAR,
with Your feet Oh Turkish ottoman and
band of music on board the train. iou do
not want to be in company with rustic
Jacob and Rachel, and to be drinking out
of the fountain where ten thousand sheep
have been drinking before you. You Will
have TO remove the obstacle of pride, or